Learn Some Writing TechniquesReading Strategies Writers put special effects in their stories and essays in different ways.DIRECTIONS: study and KNOW these terms.Not only will quizzes be given, but you’ll need to find examples of these in your reading.
Exaggeration/Overstatement/Hyperbole: an overstatement or a stretching of the truth used to make appoint or paint a clearer picture. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IuVNVLX5YM When he saw my grades, my dad hit the roof.
Irony: A technique that uses a word or phrase to mean the opposite of its normal meaning. Marshalljust loves cleaning his room.(Also, “The Gift of the Magi” by O’Henry)
Metaphor: A figure of speech that directly compares two things. In our community, high school football is king.
Onomatopoeia: A word capturing or approximating the sound of what it describes.“Buzz” is a good example.The purpose of these words is to make a passage more effective for the reader or listener. Bang! Smash! Wallop, bing, bong, boom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-BVwwKTjlI Oxymoron: Combination of opposites; the union of contradictory terms; as in “wise fool” or “jumbo shrimp.” Romeo’s line, “feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health” has four examples of the device. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_bfPGHuOu4 Personification: a figure of speech in which a nonhuman thing (an idea, object, or animal) is given human characteristics.Rosie’s old car coughs and wheezes on cold days.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKexdSZNiLc Simile: a figure of speech that compares two things using the word like or as. Faye’s little brother darts around like a water bug.Yesterday the lake was as smooth as glass.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfeqRTMBm5A (Simile, personification, metaphor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF9_fsUkxuk)
Sarcasm:The use of praise to make fun of or ‘put down’ someone or something (The expression is not sincere and is actually intended to mean the opposite thing. Micah’s a real gourmet; he loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Sensory details: specific details that help the reader see, feel, smell, taste, and/or hear what is being described. As Lee took his driver’s test, his heart thumped, his hands went cold, and his face began to sweat.
Flashback: interrupts what’s going on in a story to tell about something that happened in the past.They give information about a character to help you figure out his or her motives, or reasons, for doing things. He remembered when….She thought about that time last year when…. Foreshadowing: Hints or clues that a writer uses to suggest what will happen next in a story. Halfway home, Sarah wondered whether she had locked her locker.
Tone: a tone will convey a feeling of suspense, excitement, happiness, sadness, anger, mystery, humor, or annoyance.Choosing the right words can make a selection funny, sad, creepy, serious, mysterious, scary, or fanciful. Style: an author’s distinctive way of connecting ideas.Ex. Dr. Seuss uses rhyming and made-up words. Mood: the author’s tone & style create an overall mood: the feeling you get when you read the selection
Writers put special effects in their stories and essays in different ways. DIRECTIONS: study and KNOW these terms. Not only will quizzes be given, but you’ll need to find examples of these in your reading.
Exaggeration/Overstatement/Hyperbole: an overstatement or a stretching of the truth used to make appoint or paint a clearer picture. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IuVNVLX5YM
When he saw my grades, my dad hit the roof.
Irony: A technique that uses a word or phrase to mean the opposite of its normal meaning.
Marshall just loves cleaning his room. (Also, “The Gift of the Magi” by O’Henry)
Metaphor: A figure of speech that directly compares two things.
In our community, high school football is king.
Onomatopoeia: A word capturing or approximating the sound of what it describes. “Buzz” is a good example. The purpose of these words is to make a passage more effective for the reader or listener. Bang! Smash! Wallop, bing, bong, boom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-BVwwKTjlI
Oxymoron: Combination of opposites; the union of contradictory terms; as in “wise fool” or “jumbo shrimp.” Romeo’s line, “feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health” has four examples of the device. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_bfPGHuOu4
Personification: a figure of speech in which a nonhuman thing (an idea, object, or animal) is given human characteristics. Rosie’s old car coughs and wheezes on cold days. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKexdSZNiLc
Simile: a figure of speech that compares two things using the word like or as.
Faye’s little brother darts around like a water bug. Yesterday the lake was as smooth as glass. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfeqRTMBm5A (Simile, personification, metaphor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF9_fsUkxuk)
Sarcasm: The use of praise to make fun of or ‘put down’ someone or something (The expression is not sincere and is actually intended to mean the opposite thing.
Micah’s a real gourmet; he loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Sensory details: specific details that help the reader see, feel, smell, taste, and/or hear what is being described.
As Lee took his driver’s test, his heart thumped, his hands went cold, and his face began to sweat.
Flashback: interrupts what’s going on in a story to tell about something that happened in the past. They give information about a character to help you figure out his or her motives, or reasons, for doing things.
He remembered when…. She thought about that time last year when….
Foreshadowing: Hints or clues that a writer uses to suggest what will happen next in a story.
Halfway home, Sarah wondered whether she had locked her locker.
Tone: a tone will convey a feeling of suspense, excitement, happiness, sadness, anger, mystery, humor, or annoyance. Choosing the right words can make a selection funny, sad, creepy, serious, mysterious, scary, or fanciful.
Style: an author’s distinctive way of connecting ideas. Ex. Dr. Seuss uses rhyming and made-up words.
Mood: the author’s tone & style create an overall mood: the feeling you get when you read the selection
Review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IvQSrCsiGs